Reflection....

20 years ago tonight I was living aboard the new RFA Sir Galahad Landing Ship (Logistics) in Caen Harbour.

As part of Normandy Company from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, we had flown in a c-130 Hercules from RAF Brize Norton to Deauville in readiness to parade on Omaha Beach as the British contingent to commemorate the 50th anniversary of D-Day.

After the parade we turned to the right and marched past the saluting Dias wher HM The Queen and Presidents Clinton and Mitterand stood. We marched past escorted by the Central Band of the RAF to the tune of the British Grenadier.

That night we mixed with many of the veterans in the town and talked to them about their experiences of 50 years ago as we embarked on our military careers. For many of them they admitted it was the first time they had really spoken of their experiences - as one can imagine, it was very very humbling.